Chapter 4
When I left Calliope, she was calmer than when I had showed up. I couldn’t believe he hit her. What kind of man leaves his wife with glass in her foot and bleeding? Fuming didn’t even scratch the surface of how I was feeling. We had one week to figure out how we were going to get her out of her situation.
I hadn’t lived in my house long, so I really didn’t own much. Spending most of my time at the clubhouse meant I didn’t need a lot in my house. Since I was only renting, it made the decision to leave very easy. When I called the landlord, he was going to let me out of my lease early without penalty because it just so happened that he had a family member needing a place to rent. The timing couldn’t have been more perfect. I didn’t know if I expected her to live with me, but I knew she needed a place to go, and I was going to do whatever I needed to in order to help her.
There was a little house I had found on the other side of town to rent, close to the clubhouse, so that made it even more convenient. Being away from her current place, I was hopeful that would make it more appealing to her. She would be able to get a good chunk of her personal items moved out without fear of someone seeing where she was going.
Some of the guys from the club spent most of their Saturday helping me get my stuff out and over to the new place. It was a three-bedroom house. Did I need a place that big? Hell no, but I wanted there to be enough space that Calliope didn’t feel crowded. She would have her own room and we didn’t need to be right on top of each other.
“Ryder, why are you doing all of this for a girl you don’t really know?” Sawyer asked. He was another club member and most of us called him Kid. He grabbed a beer from behind the club bar and walked over to me, handing me one.
“I don’t know, Kid. You know how you can just tell lookin’ at someone that they’re going through it? I looked at her the other day and she looked happy and then instantly sad when her husband came to the door and told her to get inside.” I shook my head. “Then, when I went inside her place after her husband left…”
Sawyer interrupted me. “Wait, you just walked in her house?”
“Yeah. I saw her old man leave so I went up to knock on the door and I could hear her crying. She was sobbing, man. I knew something wasn’t right. So, I went inside. She was on the floor, her foot bleeding. Then I saw her face. He hits her.” I looked down at the beer Sawyer handed me, peeling the label off as I spoke.
“Fuck, man. I get it. You know I get, with my family history and all. No one deserves that. Not even a stranger. Do you want Lily to talk to her? I mean, does she have any friends?”
I shrugged. “I honestly don’t know. I was going to head over there today but wanted to get a burner phone from D first. I wanna be able to contact her or she be able to contact me if she’s got an emergency.”
Sawyer nodded. “Yeah, that makes sense. Well, I know Lily would love to help so if you talk to her and she just wants a friend, let me know.”
“I will, man. Thank you.”
*
I had gotten the burner phone from D and went back to Calliope’s. Knocking on the door, I was feeling nervous. I hoped she hadn’t changed her mind over the last day.
She came to the door, only a slight limp now. “Hi, Ryder.”
“Hi. How are you feeling? You don’t seem like you’re limping too much anymore.”
She smiled and looked down at her foot. “It’s not too bad. You bandaged it up pretty good. Thank you.” She was staring at me through the screen door and finally she opened it. “I’m sorry. Come in. I’m sorry. I’m still really nervous.
“Don’t apologize. It’s ok. What are your plans this evening?”
“Plans? I never have plans, Ryder. I’m not supposed to leave the house.”
Hearing her say that pissed me off. That dickhead expected her to stay in the house for a week. Wasn’t happening if I could help it. “Would you like to grab something to eat?” She hesitated and was fidgeting with her hands. “It’s innocent, I swear. I just want you to see something besides these walls. I’m here as a friend.”
“A friend…” She scowled.
“What’s wrong?” I asked her.
She was choked up. “I haven’t had a friend in a long time.” She shrugged.
“Well, right now, you do. Let’s go get something to eat.”
“Ok, yeah. Sure. Let me grab my purse and phone.” She turned back to the kitchen and just as fast was back with her things. We walked out and she locked up. I noticed her looking around before walking down the porch steps.
“It’s ok. I won’t let anyone hurt you.”
She nodded and we went for my bike. “You don’t have a car?”
Shaking my head, I reached for a helmet and handed it to her. “This is it.”
“But… I’ve never been on a bike before. What do I do?”
I smiled. “You hold on. Hold on tight and enjoy the wind through your hair, against your face, and that feeling of freedom it’s going to give you.”
Her eyes looked glossy. “Freedom…”
I nodded. “Freedom. Do you trust me?” She smiled and nodded. She put the helmet on and looked at me for help with the strap. Once she was good, I got on, then had her get on behind me. “Put your arms around me and hold on tight. It’s going to be ok.” She did and I could feel her exhale. “Remember to breathe. I don’t need you passing out on me.” I laughed and I could hear a small giggle come from her and then she leaned into my back.
*
We pulled into Kai’s Bar Grill. It was a low-key place near the clubhouse to grab bar food, a drink, and just sit for a bit. They had booths that lined the walls and then some tables in the center just before you reached the bar. Everything was wood and there were t.v.’s in different corners of the bar, all showing something different. I got off my bike and helped Calliope off.
“So, what’d ya think of the ride?” I looked at her hopeful.
She smiled. “Not bad. I feel like my entire body is vibrating though. It’s weird.” She laughed. She had a great laugh. Fuck that guy for ever squashing that part of her.
“Yeah, it takes some getting used to but after a while you don’t even notice that anymore.” I smiled at her. “This is Kai’s. Amazing food. Their mozzarella sticks are the best.”
“I can’t wait.”
We walked in and grabbed a booth. The waitress came over and I recognized her. She’s someone who spends time with Country at the Clubhouse. Country”s real name is Chase, but he is a country boy through and through so the nickname stuck. “Hey, Ryder!”
“Hey, Mika. Mika, this is Calliope, a friend of mine. Calliope, this is Mika. She’s a friend of the club.” It was easier to say friend of the club than go into her being Country’s old lady and what that meant. She smiled so I knew she understood.
“Nice to meet you, Calliope. I love your name.”
Calliope got really shy. “Thank you. I like your name, too,” she said quietly.
We ordered our drinks and food, and Mika took off. I looked at Calliope and asked, “You ok?”
She nodded and gave a very faint smile. “Yeah, I’m just so nervous. I literally have not had dinner with anyone other than Colin is so many years.”
“Do your friends not wonder what happened to you? Why you never leave the house?”
She shrugged. “They did in the beginning, but I made excuse after excuse of why I couldn’t go out. After so many, they just stop inviting you. They stop texting, besides the occasional funny meme or to tell the group what crazy thing just happened.”
“What about family?” I was digging. I wanted to know everything. Did she really have no one to help her?
“The only family I’ve ever had are not here anymore. My mama died when I was young. My dad died in my third year of my marriage to Colin. He was sick and Colin made it extremely difficult for me to spend time with him. I’ll hate him forever for that.” She cleared her throat, and I could tell she was trying to keep it together.
I spoke up. “I’m sorry that happened to you. I’m sorry all of this has happened to you, and you’ve felt you haven’t had a way out.”
“I’m still really uneasy about it all. I don’t know what to do. You say you can help me, but how?”
I pulled out the burner phone I got from D. “I want you to take this. Call me on this so he can’t track you. If you need anything at all, you can always reach me with this phone. As a matter of fact, every club member’s contact is in there. No matter what number you call or text, I will get the message.”
“What? They know about me? This is so embarrassing.”
“Look. They know I wanted to possibly help my neighbor because I had a bad feeling. Then, after I came to see you and cleaned up your foot, they helped me move out of my house.”
“Wait? I don’t understand. You moved out of your place? Across the street from me? Oh my god. I’m so sorry. This is a mistake.”
“No, no. Stop!” She froze and I realized she was scared at my command which was the last thing I wanted her to be. “I just mean, it’s ok. I moved out because I wanted to help you. I knew I wouldn’t be able to do that if I lived across the street from you. He would see everything and that wouldn’t at all be comfortable for you. It was easy to get out of my lease because the landlord actually needed the apartment for a family member.”
She looked up at me and hesitated but then asked, “Where did you move to? And how does that help me?”
“I’m at a place just a few blocks away. I wanted to take you there when we finished eating. It’s a three-bedroom house.”
Just then, Mika came back with our food. Calliope asked, “Can we get it to go?”
I knew she might be upset but I didn’t expect her to want to leave. “I’m sorry. Yeah. Mika, can we have two to go boxes, please?”
Mika smiled. “Sure thing. I’ll be right back.”
I looked at Calliope and said, “I’m sorry, Calliope. I want you to eat.”
She shook her head. “I will but I want to see where you moved. Is that ok?”
I would do whatever she wanted. Since she hadn’t had many choices of her own, it was the least I could do. “Of course.”
Mika brought our boxes and we packed up our food and headed to the new house.
*
We pulled into the driveway of the new place. It was an all-white with black shutters bungalow type. The inside had a cabin feel with all wood trim and floors even though the outside was white. Not bad for a rental. I could see myself buying something like it someday.
Calliope looked ahead at the house in awe before saying, “Wow, Ryder. What a cute place.”
“Hang on.” I got off my bike and then helped her off. She laughed hard, making me ask, “What’s so funny? Haven’t heard you laugh before.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. I just… my dad told me once that if a man didn’t open the car door for me, I shouldn’t give him the time of day.”
I raised an eyebrow at her. “Don’t apologize for laughin’. Soooo, what did I do that was funny though.”
She hesitated and then said, “Colin didn’t open my door the first time we started talking. The red flags were bright red, and I didn’t listen to my dad. Now, here you are, not quite a stranger anymore but still someone I barely know, and you practically lifted me off the bike so I wouldn’t fall. It’s not quite opening the door but basically the equivalent. My dad would’ve liked you.”
I smiled at her. “Well, Colin is a dickhead, and all women deserve to have the door opened or held open for them, no matter whether you’re dating or not.”
She smiled and looked toward the house. I turned and started walking up the front pathway. “Come on.”
Once inside, I said, “It’s not much but it’s enough. Honestly, it’s pretty great for a rental. I wanna show you something.” The front door opened to the living room which had an open layout straight to the kitchen. It was all one level and straight down the hall on the other side of the kitchen are the bedrooms. There are two bedrooms on the left, one at the end of the hall, and the bathroom is on the right. On the other side of the wall is the kitchen.
My nerves were ramped up a notch at showing her the room. I opened the first door on the left and it was all white and had a floor to ceiling bay window. There were built in bookshelves on the left wall and on the right, we set up a brand new bed with two side tables and a small lamp on each one.
“Whose room is this?” She asked.
I looked down at her and paused before saying, “Yours.”
Her mouth dropped open and then she shut it immediately and she looked confused. “Why? How? You want me to live here? With you?”
I laughed. “I knew it could be a long shot, but I wanted to get a big enough place that you would have your own space. This is your room to do with whatever you want. Stay when you want, leave when you want, go to sleep when you want, have over whoever you want… whatever you want. I’m not pressuring you to stay here, but this is yours.”
She walked further inside the room, approaching the window and looked out. All you could see were pine trees that blocked the house across the way. She had privacy, though I was sure she would want curtains up. Turning toward me, she brought her hands up to her cheeks. “I don’t know what to say. This is so much.”
I took one step toward her but still leaving her with enough space that she didn’t feel caged in. “Say you’ll stay here. This is how we get you out. The rest of this week we will move a little over at a time until everything you want and care about is here.”
“What about when Colin returns? He’s not just going to let me leave.”
“You’ll already be gone. We’ll go to a lawyer and get the papers filed. I know it all sounds too easy, but I truly believe if we do this one step at a time, you’ll finally be free.”
She closed her eyes. “Free.”
I stared at her. “Free, Calliope. Free to live your life how you’ve always dreamed. No one dictating your every move.”
Her eyes opened and they were filled with tears barely holding back from spilling over to her cheeks. “Calliope Grace,” she said in a whisper.
“What?” I asked.
“My middle name. It’s Grace. Calliope Grace.”
“It’s a beautiful name. It fits you. What do you want me to call you?”
She smiled. “You can call me whatever you want. My dad always called me Calliope Grace. As I mentioned before, I only go by Callie because Colin started calling me that.”
I felt a scowl forming as my eyebrows pinched together. “Will you move in here?”
“Ok.”
“Ok… as in, yes?” My scowl was gone as hope returned.
She nodded with a small smile and said, “Yes. I’m scared but yes.”
“I promise, I’ll keep you safe. If you want, you’ll never have to be alone. If I can’t be near, I can make sure someone is.”
“No. I need alone time too. I can do this. Someone has always watched my every move. I don’t want to leave that house to have it happening again, no matter whether it’s good intentions or not.”
Nodding I said, “I respect that. I’ll follow you’re lead. OK?”
“Ok, yes.” She smiled, I smiled, and then we went out to the living room to eat our to-go meals. It was the lightest I’d seen her since I talked to her at her mailbox. She was eating, laughing, and telling me about growing up and what her father was like, and I shared a little about me. It was a comfortable conversation, and it didn’t feel like a ton of pressure.
When we finished, I took her home, made sure she locked up and reassured her everything was going to be alright. One step at a time was how we would get her free and I knew the guys would do anything to help her too.